Chapter 14
I kept eating, savoring every bite. It had been too long since I’d had a meal that didn’t taste like regret and obligation.
Knox leaned against the counter, watching me with a smug grin. “See! You doubted me.”
1 swallowed and pointed my fork at him. “I still doubt you. This could be the only thing you know how to cook”
Knox gasped, pressing a hand to his chest. “I am deeply offended. You wound me, lule wolf
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Just accept the compliment.”
Knox chuckled, but there was something in his expression–something knowing. Like he could s
lightheartedness
I wasn’t used to people feeding me. I wasn’t used to kindness without conditions.
right through my forced
And I definitely wasn’t used to people making me forget, even for a second, the weight of my own existence.
Knox sat down across from me, resting his chin on his hand. “So, what’s it like?”
I raised an eyebrow, “What’s what like?”
“Being Alaric’s Luna,” he said, smirking. “Or… whatever you are to him.”
I nearly choked on my food
I grabbed my cup of water, gulping it down before glaring at him. “Excuse me?”
Knox shrugged “C’mon, you’re the tenth one, Liana. You had to know people would talk.”
I set my fork down. “What are you trying to say?”
Knox’s smirk faded slightly. “That people are waiting for history to repeat itself.”
A chill crawled up my spine. “You mean the others?”
He nodded. “The other women before you. None of them lasted. Some ran, some disappeared.”
I swallowed, gripping the edge of the table. “And what! You think II disappear too!”
Knox leaned forward, his gray eyes serious now. “I think you need to understand what you’ve stepped into.”
The air in the room felt heavier. I suddenly wasn’t so hungry anymore.
“Do you know what happened to them?” I asked, my voice quiet
Knox hesitated, then sighed. “Bits and pieces. But no one really knows the full truth.”
I frowned. “Not even you?”
Knox ran a hand through his hair, looking uneasy. “Let’s just say… there are things Alaric doesn’t talk about.”
My mind flashed back to the inscription in the ruins. Heware the cursed king.
I should have let it go. I should have taken the warning and buried it like everyone else clearly had.
But I couldn’t
I pushed my plate away. “I need to know“
Knos exhaled sharply. “You want to know.” That’s different.
“Then tell me what you know”
Knox studied me for a long moment, then shook his head. “You really are stubborn.”
“Tve been told”
921 Ju₫ ₫
Chapter 14
He smirked, but there was no amusement in his eyes. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
He leaned back, crossing his arms. “Alaric wasn’t always this way. Gold Untouchable. He used to be–He hesitated. “Different.”
I frowned. “Different how!”
Knox tapped his fingers against the table. “Less of a king. More of a mani
That shouldn’t have made my chest tighten the way it did.
“But something changed,” Knox continued. “Something broke in him. And it started with her.”
My stomach twisted “Who?”
Knox’s eyes darkened. “His first intended mate.”
A sharp pang of something close to jealousy flickered through me, which was stupid because I had no right to feel that
“What happened to her?” I asked.
Knox hesitated again, like he was debating 1
g whether or not to say it. “She died”
A shiver ran down my spine. “How?”
Knox looked away. “No one knows. She was found dead in the castle.”
I stared at him. “And you don’t think that’s important?”
“Oh, it’s important, Knox said, his tone grim. “But Alaric never speaks of it. Ever.”
My heart pounded in my chest,
The whispers, the warnings, the fear wrapped around his name like a shroud–was this why?
I swallowed. “And the others?”
Knox exhaled, shaking his head. “Some left. Some just vanished.”
Vanished.
I gripped the edge of the table, my mind racing
Was I next!
Before I could say anything else, a loud crash sounded from the hallway.
Both Knox and I shot to our feet
-What the hell was that?” I whispered.
Knox moved quickly toward the door, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. He cracked it open, peering outside.
His entire body tensed.
“What?” I whispered urgently.
He turned to me, his expression unreadable. “It’s Alaric”
My stomach dropped “Is he~”
“Not hurt.” Knox said quickly. *
“But he himself”
That didn’t make me feel latter
I rushed past Knox before he could stop me, stepping into the hallway
And that’s when I uw him.
9.21 AM c d
Chapter 14
The corridors of the palace were quiet at this hour, the torches flickering softly against the stone walls. Perfect. She had chosen this time for a reason–no wandering guards, no unnecessary witnesses. Just her and the man who held enough influence to shift the tides in her
favor
She slipped into the dimly lit chamber, her violet eyes scanning the room quickly. The scent of old parchment and ink filled the air, and across the desk sat Advisor Edric Vale, one of the king’s closest political minds.
“Luna Amira,” Edric greeted, his voice as smooth as silk, though there was a flicker of amusement in his dark eyes. “You requested a private meeting. Quite risky, don’t you think!”
An ira smirked, stepping forward with deliberate grace. “Risk and reward go hand in hand, Advisor”
Edric leaned back in his chair, twirling a quill between his fingers. “And what reward are you hoping for tonight?”
She sat down across from him, folding her hands neatly in her lap. “The removal of a problem.”
Edric raised a brow. “Liana?”
She tilted her head. “You say her name so casually, as if she is anyone of importance.”
Edric chuckled, his gaze sharp. “She is the king’s chosen Luna. That makes her very important”
Amira scoffed, rolling her eyes. “A title means nothing if she doesn’t live long enough to fulfill it.”
That got his attention.
Edric studied her carefully, setting th
the quill down. “You want her gone?”
Amira smiled, slow and calculated. “I want her discredited. If she falls from grace, Alaric will have no choice but to cast her aside. And when he does.” She leaned forward, her voice a whisper, “he will need someone stronger. Someone better”
Edric exhaled, rubbing his chin. “And you think that someone is you?”
She laughed softly. “Who else?”
Edric smirked, shaking his head. “You’ve always been ambitious.”
“And yet, my ambition always leads me to the right places.”
He considered this, tapping his fingers against the desk. “What do you have in mind?”
Amira’s lips curled into a wicked smile. “A rumor is powerful, Advisor. A truik twisted the right way can destroy even the strongest.”
She leaned in closer. “I want the court to know that Liana’s past is not as innocent as she claims. That she is not the victim she pretends to be. I want whispers that she had a hand in Olivia’s death. That she seduced the king not out of love or duty–but for power. That she was never meant to be Luna. That the Moon Goddess did not
choose her.
Edric hummed, intrigued. “And how do you suggest we spread these whispers?”
Amara smirked, her fingers trailing over the fine glass of wine set on his desk.
33
